Method and apparatus for filling containers

ABSTRACT

A food packing machine for the cascade filling of containers in which an elongated platform extends through a rotary filling drum and is supported on pivot links to be reciprocated by a variable speed motor simultaneously with a horizontal component of motion and a vertical component of motion for causing the cans to move through the filling drum while simultaneously compacting the food particles received within the containers with the drive means for the platform being adjustable to vary the vertical component of reciprocation of the platform in order to vary the compactness with which the particles are packed in the can.

United States Patent 167,395- 8/1904 Doble William E. Neal Archbold,0hio

Appl. No. 867,157

Filed Oct. 17,1969

Patented Aug. 31, I971 Assignee Food Packers Equipment Company, Inc;

. -Corydon,lnd.

Inventor METHOD AND Arimlul'rus r011 FILLING 7/1910 Flounderset al. 1 259/D1G.24 1,995,271 3/1935 Belcher et al..... 259/D1G. 24 2,062,428 12/1936 Rapp 259/D1G. 24 2,103,158 12/1937 Kantor 259/D1G. 24 2,123,189. 7/1938 Jacobsen 198/220 2,234,953 3/1941 Belcheretal 259/D1G. 24

Attorney-Mason, Feinwick & Lawrence ABSTRACT: A food packing machine for the cascade filling of containers in which an elongated platform extends through a rotary filling drum and is supported on pivot links to be reciprocated by a variable speed motor simultaneously with a horizontal component of motion and a vertical component of motion for causing the cans to move through the filling drum while simultaneously compacting the food particles received within the containers with the drive means for the platform being adjustable to vary the vertical component of reciprocation of the platform in order to vary the compactness with which the particles are packed i" the can.

1a as m. 60 68 \n. 5" ;'l ."l 5 161 52135, 3o 1 1 14 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to the field of container filling and is more particularly directed to an apparatus and method of filling containers with food particles of the type such as pickles, hard cherries and the like. Specifically, the invention is directed to a container filling apparatus and method for filling containers with food particles cascaded into the containers as the containers are conveyed in a unique manner through a filling drum which enables movement of the containers and adjustment of the density with which the food items or particles are received within the containers.

Numerous prior art devices have been employed for filling cans or other containers with a given amount of food particles prior to the sealing of such containers. Devices of the type illustrated in US. Pat. No. 2,775,268, No. 2,937,670, No. 2,719,661 and No. 3,217,760 have employed chain-type conveyors of various forms for moving the containers through a filling area in which the food particles are cascaded into the containers. Such prior art devices usually provide separate means for oscillating or vibrating the containers as they are conveyed through the filling area by the conveyor means in order that the food particles received within the containers are distributed uniformly in the containers to provide a uniform compactness and a uniform weight or amount of particles within the containers.

While devices of the type exemplified by the foregoing patents have proven to be fairly satisfactory in most respects, they have suffered from a number of deficiencies and shortcomings which are solved by the present invention. For example, the prior known devices have employed separate complex and distinct conveying means for moving the containers through the filling area plus separate vibrating means for enabling proper compacting of the particles within the containers. Consequently, the initial cost of devices of this type has been substantial and the maintenance necessitated by the complexity of such devices has also caused the cost of operation of such devices to be quite substantial.

Moreover, while many of the prior known devices have been satisfactory for filling containers with food particles of a particular type, they have not proven to be sufficiently versatile to permit usage with various types of food particles of different sizes, shapes and other physical characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for filling containers with food particles or the like.

Obtainment of the object of this invention is enabled through the provision of an elongated conveyor in the form of a platform having guide rails along its sides and extending through the filling area of a rotary drum providing a cascade of particles for filling the containers. Pivot links pivotable about a horizontal axis transverse to the elongated platform provide support for the platform and a variable speed electric motor is connected to the platform and a variable speed electric motor is connected to the platform for reciprocating the platform in a manner so that it has both a horizontal and a vertical component of motion. The reciprocation of the platform in the horizontal direction causes containers on the platform to move along the platform while the vertical component of reciprocation causes the particular particles to be received within the containers with a given degree of compactness. The drive motor is connected to the conveyor by means of an eccentric output drive connected to the platform by a linkage with the eccentric output drive being supported for adjustment toward and away from the axis of the elongated platform to consequently vary the extent of vertical motion of the platform in accordance with the nature of the particles being filled within the containers. Increasing the vertical component of platform motion serves to pack the particles more densely while decreasing the vertical component serves to lessen the density with which the particles are received in the containers. Additionally, an air or steam nozzle head is provided adjacent the downstream end of the platform for removing excess particles from within the tops of each of the containers in order that each container will contain the same quantity of food particles as it is conveyed from the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWlNGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment for practicing the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the preferred embodiment with portions removed for clarity; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of drum support means for the feed drum.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Attention is initially invited into FIG. 1 which illustrates the primary components of the preferred embodiment by which the practice of this invention is enabled. The primary components of the preferred embodiment comprise a filling drum 20, a container conveyor 22 and drive means 24 for reciprocating the conveyor in a manner to be discussed in detail hereinafter.

Filling drum 20 is supported for rotation on the main frame member 18 by means of rearward rollers 26 directly connected to the main frame 18 and by a pair of floating support rollers 28 attached to a floating support plate 30 which are located to engate the forward side of the under portion of the filling drum to provide a floating support therefor. It should be noted that the floating support plate 30 is provided with a pivot groove extending transversely across its width which is received on a pivot fulcrum 32 extending upwardly from the main frame 18. An adjustable counter weight 24 is attached to the rear end of the plate 30 and can be adjusted inwardly and outwardly for varying the force with which the loading support rollers 28 are urged against the filling drum 20.

A drive sprocket 36 is supported for rotation on bearings extending from the main frame 18 so as to be engaged with a peripheral drive chain 38 extending about drum 20 as shown in FIG. 1. Drive sprocket 36 is driven by an electric motor 37 or any other suitable drive means.

Filling drum 20 is primarily of rigid mesh construction and is hollow on its interior and the container conveyor means 22 which is in the form of an elongated container supporting platform 40 having side rails 42 extends completely through the filling drum for the purpose of conveying empty containers 41 into the drum in order that they may be filled and then conveyed from the drum for subsequent processing. Containers 41, which can be either cans or bottles, are initially deposited on an infeed end 44 of conveyor platform 40 and conveyed along the length of platform 40 to exit via an outfeed end 46.

A hinged infeed pivot plate 48 connected to an infeed conveyor 49 of conventional design which forms no part of this invention rests upon the infeed end 44 of the elongated platform 40. Similarly, an outfeed plate 50 pivoted to the outfeed end of the platform 40 rests upon the upper flight of a conventional outfeed conveyor 52 which carries the filled cans to the next processing station.

Support for the elongated container support platform conveyor 40 is provided by two pairs of pivot links 54 which are connected to the platform adjacent the infeed and outfeed ends and are connected on their lower ends to a pivot support fixed to a vertical column 56.

Drive means for reciprocating the elongated containers supporting platform 40 is provided in the form a variable speed electric motor 58 supported on an adjustable support platform 60 which is pivotally connected on one end to a pivot support link 62 which is, in turn, pivotally connected to the main frame 18. The other end of the adjustable support plate 60 is attached to a cylinder 66 which is eccentric with respect to a shaft 68 from which cylinder 66 extends. Shaft 68 is supported in bearings 70 attached to the main frame 18 and has an adjustment lever 72 extending from one end which, when rotated, serves to rotate shaft 68 and cylinder 66 so as to move one end of the adjustable support plate 60 upwardly or downwardly. The position of lever 72 can be maintained in any desired fixed position by the tightening of a thumb bolt 74.

Bearings 76 are attached to the upper side of plate 60 above the eccentric cylinder 66 and provide rotary support for an output drive shaft 78 which has an output drive eccentric 80 on one end thereof. The output drive eccentric 80 is driven by chain means 82 drivingly connected to shaft 78 on which it is supported and a drive rod 84 is connected between the output drive eccentric 80 and the infeed end of the platform 40. Consequently, activation of the motor 58 serves to rotate the output drive eccentric 80 to cause the platform 40 to be reciprocated in a primarily horizontal direction. However, it should be noted that the movement of the conveyor platform 40 includes a vertical component of motion along with the primary horizontal component of motion. Adjustment of the vertical position of the support plate 60 and the output eccentric 80 in an upward direction serves to increase the horizontal component of platform motion while simultaneously decreasing the vertical component in an obvious manner. The purpose for such adjustment will become apparent hereinafter.

A conventional infeed hopper 85, or other conventional feed means provides the interior of the filling drum 20 with a quantity of food particles which are cascaded downwardly onto the cams moving through a filling zone or area 90 in the interior of the drum in a conventional well-known manner. The desired quantity of food particles within the drum is maintained by the conventional infeed means 85. The interior of the drum includes radial fins or the like 88 and a shield 87 which serve to lift the food particles upwardly to a point at which they are cascaded downwardly in the filling area 90 through which the cans are being conveyed.

An adjustable steam or air nozzle manifold 92 mounted for adjustable positioning axially and/or rotationally by means 94 serves to remove excess food particles from the tops of the containers so that all containers leaving the drum contain the same quantity of product.

While a particular type feed drum has been illustrated herein, it should be understood that practically any conventional feed drum and associated drive means could be employed with the particular conveyor means of the preferred embodiment. For example, the previously discussed patents all disclose various forms of feed drums and associated support and drive means which could be employed if desired. Therefore, it should be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular feed drum system illustrated in conjunction with the preferred embodiment.

Adjustment of the position of the output drive eccentric 80 so as to increase the vertical component of motion of platform 40 serves to consequently increase the compactness with which particles are received in the cans. Similarly, any adjustment serving to decrease the vertical component of platform motion serves to loosen the particles within the containers so that they are less compact. Additionally, adjustment of the speed of motor 58 serves to vary the frequency of reciprocation of the platform. Therefore, optimum efficiency in filling the containers with a wide variety of different sizes and weights of particles can be obtained by adjusting the frequency of reciprocation along with the vertical component of reciprocation.

[Claim:

1. ln a food packing machine having means providing a falling stream of food particles or the like in a filling area for enabling the cascade filling of containers with food particles or the like as the containers are moved through said filling area, the improvement comprising elongated conveyor means extending in a horizontal direction through said filling area, driving and driven supporting means for said container conveyor means for reciprocating said container conveyor means in a direction primarily parallel to the axis of said container conveyor means but including a vertical component of movement perpendicular to said axis for causing both movement of said containers through said filling area and compacting of the particles received within the containers.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor includes a variable speed motor drivingly connected to said container conveyor for reciprocating said container conveyor with variable frequencies which are variable as desired in accordance with the nature of the product being filled in said containers in order that optimum filling efficiency can be obtained.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor additionally includes means for adjusting the component of motion perpendicular to said axis for varying the compactness of the product received within the containers.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said container conveyor means comprises an elongated platfonn supported on each end by pivot link means pivotable about pivot support axes oriented perpendicularly to said axis of said elongated platform.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said variable speed motor is drivingly connected to an eccentric output drive means connected to one end of said conveyor by a drive link wherein said means for adjusting the component of motion for said container supporting conveyor means comprises an adjustable support for moving said eccentric output drive means toward and away from the axis of said conveyor.

6. A conveyor for moving a plurality of containers through a filling area in which particles are gravitationally cascaded into the containers for filling the containers and for varying the compactness of the particles received in such containers comprising an elongated platform extending through the filling area having an infeed end to which empty containers are supplied and an outfeed end from which filled containers are supplied and an outfeed end from which filled containers are removed, power means for reciprocating said platform horizontally and vertically simultaneously for causing said containers to move from the infeed end to the outfeed end and for compacting the particles in the containers with uniform compactness.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said power means includes a variable speed electric drive motor for enabling variation of the speed with which said platform is reciprocated.

8. The invention of claim 7 additionally including means for selectively adjusting the vertical component of motion in order to selectively vary the compactness of particles in said containers.

9. A method of filling and conveying containers with particles gravitationally cascaded into the containers in a filling area comprising the steps of supplying empty containers to an infeed end of a platform extending through the filling area, simultaneously reciprocating said platform with a horizontal component of motion and a vertical component of motion so that said containers are moved through said filling area and food particles are uniformly received in the containers with uniform compactness.

10, The method of claim 9 additionally including the step of varying the vertical component of reciprocation of said platform in order to vary the compactness of the particles received in the containers.

11. A food packing machine comprising a rotary filling drum for providing a falling cascade of food particles or the like in a filling area when the drum is rotated, an elongated container conveyor means extending through said falling cascade in said filling area, driving and supporting means for said container conveyor means for reciprocating said container conveyor means in a direction primarily parallel to the axis of said container conveyor means but including a component of movement perpendicular to said axis for causing movement of containers on said container conveyor means through said filling area and for also causing compacting of the food particles received within the container means as the container means moves through the filling area.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said driving and sup porting means for said container conveyor includes a variable speed motor drivingly connected to said container conveyor for reciprocating said container conveyor with variable frequencies which are variable as desired in accordance with the nature of the product being filled in said containers in order that optimum filling efficiency can be obtained.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor additionally includes means for adjusting the component of motion perpendicular to said axis for varying the compactness of the product received within the containers.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said container con- 

1. In a food packing machine having means providing a falling stream of food particles or the like in a filling area for enabling the cascade filling of containers with food particles or the like as the containers are moved through said filling area, the improvement comprising elongated conveyor means extending in a horizontal direction through said filling area, driving and driven supporting means for said container conveyor means for reciprocating said container conveyor means in a direction primarily parallel to the axis of said container conveyor means but including a vertical component of movement perpendicular to said axis for causing both movement of said containers through said filling area and compacting of the particles received within the containers.
 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor includes a variable speed motor drivingly connected to said container conveyor for reciprocating said container conveyor with variable frequencies which are variable as desired in accordance with the nature of the product being filled in said containers in order that optimum filling efficiency can be obtained.
 3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor additionally includes means for adjusting the component of motion perpendicular to said axis for varying the compactness of the product received within the containers.
 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said container conveyor means comprises an elongated platform supported on each end by pivot link means pivotable about pivot support axes oriented perpendicularly to said axis of said elongated platform.
 5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said variable speed motor is drivingly connected to an eccentric output drive means connected to one end of said conveyor by a drive link wherein said means for adjusting the component of motion for said container supporting conveyor means comprises an adjustable support for moving said eccentric output drive means toward and away from the axis of said conveyor.
 6. A conveyor for moving a plurality of containers through a filling area in which particles are gravitationally cascaded into the containers for filling the containers and for varying the compactness of the particles received in such containers comprising an elongated platform extending through the filling area having an infeed end to which empty containers are supplied and an outfeed end from which filled containers are supplied and an outfeed end from which filled containers are removed, power means for reciprocating said platform horizontally and vertically simultaneously for causing said containers to move from the infeed end to the outfeed end and for compacting the particles in the containers with uniform compactness.
 7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said power means includes a variable speed electric drive motoR for enabling variation of the speed with which said platform is reciprocated.
 8. The invention of claim 7 additionally including means for selectively adjusting the vertical component of motion in order to selectively vary the compactness of particles in said containers.
 9. A method of filling and conveying containers with particles gravitationally cascaded into the containers in a filling area comprising the steps of supplying empty containers to an infeed end of a platform extending through the filling area, simultaneously reciprocating said platform with a horizontal component of motion and a vertical component of motion so that said containers are moved through said filling area and food particles are uniformly received in the containers with uniform compactness. 10, The method of claim 9 additionally including the step of varying the vertical component of reciprocation of said platform in order to vary the compactness of the particles received in the containers.
 11. A food packing machine comprising a rotary filling drum for providing a falling cascade of food particles or the like in a filling area when the drum is rotated, an elongated container conveyor means extending through said falling cascade in said filling area, driving and supporting means for said container conveyor means for reciprocating said container conveyor means in a direction primarily parallel to the axis of said container conveyor means but including a component of movement perpendicular to said axis for causing movement of containers on said container conveyor means through said filling area and for also causing compacting of the food particles received within the container means as the container means moves through the filling area.
 12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor includes a variable speed motor drivingly connected to said container conveyor for reciprocating said container conveyor with variable frequencies which are variable as desired in accordance with the nature of the product being filled in said containers in order that optimum filling efficiency can be obtained.
 13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said driving and supporting means for said container conveyor additionally includes means for adjusting the component of motion perpendicular to said axis for varying the compactness of the product received within the containers.
 14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said container conveyor means comprises an elongated platform supported on each end by pivot link means pivotably mounted for movement about pivotal support axes oriented perpendicularly to said axis of said elongated platform.
 15. The invention of claim 14 wherein said variable speed motor is drivingly connected to an eccentric output drive means connected to one end of said conveyor by a drive link wherein said means for adjusting the component of motion for said container supporting conveyor means comprises an adjustable support for moving said eccentric output drive means toward and away from the axis of said conveyor. 